Notebook: Schoenfeld Stock Rising

A run of healthy play has helped Aaron Schoenfeld fight his way onto the field for the Crew.

When the lanky forward came on as a late-game substitute May 18 at Toronto, it marked his first
MLS action since July 8, 2012. With injuries and national-team call-ups affecting the Crew’s
attacking players, Schoenfeld has managed to nab moments that were going to first-round draft pick
Ryan Finley earlier this season.

“He was quicker, he was working hard,” Warzycha said when asked about Schoenfeld playing ahead
of Finley. “I think he got fit and he was doing better than the other guys.”

Finley was taken with the ninth overall pick in this year’s SuperDraft after scoring 56 goals in
four seasons split between Duke and Notre Dame. Schoenfeld was a second-round supplemental pick
(20th overall) for Montreal in 2012 and acquired by the Crew for a 2013 pick. That wound up being a
third-round supplemental pick the Impact used to take Juan Arbelaez with the 47th selection.
Arbelaez did not make the club and is playing for the Richmond Kickers of the USL Pro division.

Although Schoenfeld earned a roster spot with the Crew and saw action in nine games including
three starts last season, he was held back with a right plantar fascia rupture. When he returned,
Jairo Arrieta had largely solidified the Crew’s forward position.

Another foot injury kept him idle for a few weeks this preseason.

“I feel like that maybe held me back this year, especially in preseason when guys are fighting
for spots,” he said. “I wasn’t really able to be out there for 2-3 weeks. I just want to stay
healthy right now and keep working on game fitness. I don’t think I’m 100 percent game-fit yet but
I think I’m working towards that.”

That much was evident when Schoenfeld came on in relief of an injured Dominic Oduro in the
eighth minute of a 2-2 road draw May 26 with New York. Schoenfeld was then subbed off for Ben Speas
after 54 minute.

“All day you try to mentally prepare for your role,” Schoenfeld said. “On the bench, it’s
usually last-30-minute sub so you go through all your mental preparations and envisioning
everything, but I was not expecting a second-minute injury and I was not expecting to go in in the
ninth minute. In my head I was just trying to be ready. I knew we were playing one of the best
teams in the league with world-class talent and one of the best defenders in (Jamison) Olave. I was
just trying to play simple, connect the passes early on and get some confidence.”

Warzycha likes the different set of skills the 6-foot-4 Schoenfeld brings.

“He has ankle injuries and he was always nursing something,” the coach said. “He never performed
as well as he wanted to because there was always something that stopped him from performing. It was
the same at the beginning of the year. He had an ankle injury and this time he’s fit and he’s ready
to go and he works hard. That was my choice to play him.”

He has now seen action in three straight games.

Oduro starterWith Arrieta away for national-team duty, Oduro will likely move up top for Wednesday’s match
against Philadelphia with Schoenfeld on the bench.

He’s not complaining.

“It’s my job to help my team win and make it hard for the coaches to keep me out,” he said. “It’s
a challenge for me to prove to the coaches that I think I deserve to be on the top more than on
the wing, which again I don’t mind. But I think I’m more comfortable up top because I have fewer
people to beat. All I need is a great ball from (Higuain) or anyone else and I’m right behind the
defense trying to put the ball in the net. I’m excited for it.

“Hopefully I’ll go out there, help my team to win and hopefully put in one or two goals and make
a statement for the coaches to make a decision the next time Jairo comes back. I’m excited to have
this opportunity again.”

Justin Meram and Ben Speas are likely to be the Crew’s starting outside midfielders, although
Warzycha would not commit to that following a light training session Monday.

“We may see (Meram and Speas) on the field together,” he said. “We may see Schoenfeld or we may
see Ryan Finley on the field and keep Dominic on the right side. He’s playing well over there. We
have to make that decision.”